Do-It-Yourself Health: Fitness and Nutrition, November 2017

Fitness Plan: Cardiovascular Health

“When I was a kid, I could run, swim, and bike all day — but now I get tired just thinking about running to the mailbox.” If you’ve ever said something like that, you’re not alone.

When we’re kids, we have fun, and cardiovascular exercise is often a natural byproduct. As our age increases, sometimes our physical abilities decrease. Whether it’s due to illness, injury or lifestyle, it happens. But one thing that should not decrease is our ability to have fun.

This month pump some extra fun into your life by picking a favorite childhood activity or game to enjoy each week. To make sure you get cardiovascular health benefits, let’s add some classic fun to the month’s fitness plan as well. Try this dice game with the exercises below. Alternate rolling one or two dice. For each roll, try 1-2 minutes of the activity corresponding to the number of your roll. For example, if you roll a 1, spend 1 to 2 minutes jumping rope. If you roll a six after that, then spend 1 to 2 minutes doing jumping jacks. If you roll a number twice in a row, roll again for a new exercise. Challenge yourself (and your friends) to set new records for how many reps you can do for each exercise in its 1- or 2-minute timeframe!

Nutrition Plan: Antioxidants

Even as you are reading this, there are micro-ninjas attacking the cells in your body. Scientists and doctors call these ninjas free radicals. Their resulting damage can cause conditions like atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries) and even cancer. Free radicals occur during normal body processes such as digestion, or may come from external sources such as exposure to tobacco smoke, air pollution, or chemicals.

Categories

Cardiovascular Fitness: Tips from Our Expert

Keep a variety of cardiovascular activity in your weekly plan to sustain your interest and challenge your body in different ways.

Studies have shown that cardiovascular benefits can be seen with as little as 10 minutes per bout of activity. Accumulating 150 minutes per week of moderate activity is recommended to achieve a multitude of health benefits.

A good gauge to measure the intensity of your activity is the Talk Test. If you can talk to someone, but not sing, that’s moderate-intensity. If you can only say a few words without pausing for a breath that’s high-intensity.

Antioxidants: Tips from Our Expert

One of the best ways to increase antioxidants in your diet is by simply increasing your fruit and vegetable intake.

High-dose supplements of antioxidants may be linked to health risks. Always talk to your doctor about the use of supplements.

Connecting Care and CoverageHighmark Health is the third-largest integrated health care delivery and financing system in
the nation, employing more than 35,000 and serving 50 million Americans in 50 states.